Tehran [Iran], March 20 (ANI): Iran on Thursday claimed to have become the first nation in the world to strike an US F-35 Lightning 2, one of the most valuable US aircraft and the backbone of the US's fifth-generation warfighting capabilities.

Over 19 countries have already flown or are preparing to fly the Lightning 2, which is in great demand both within the USAF and among its allies.

A CNN report, citing US defence officials, confirmed that an F-35 did perform an emergency landing after an Iranian surface-to-air missile (SAM) barrage, with the pilot safe and an investigation underway.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it had successfully hit a US Air Force F-35 stealth fighter jet in central Iran's airspace. According to a statement released by the IRGC on its official news website on Thursday, the jet was struck at 2:50 a.m. local time by the IRGC's advanced, modern air defense systems.

'The fate of the fighter jet is unclear and under investigation, and the likelihood of its crash is very high,' it said.

The IRGC noted that the interception follows the successful downing of more than 125 US-Israeli drones by Iran's defense systems, signaling significant and purposeful upgrades in the country's integrated air defense network.

This Iranian claim came just one day after the White House claimed in an X post that F-35 represents 'decisive American power.'

https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2033687078903362032?s=20

The CNN report from the incident, citing US defence officials, noted that a US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire.

Capt Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, confirmed to CNN that the fifth-generation stealth aircraft had been on an operational mission when the incident occurred. He said the jet was 'flying a combat mission over Iran' when it was forced to land, as per the CNN report.

'The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition,' Hawkins added. 'This incident is under investigation.'

If confirmed as a successful strike, the development would mark the first time Iran has managed to hit a US aircraft during the ongoing conflict, which began in late February. Both the United States and Israel have been deploying F-35 fighter jets in the war. The aircraft is among the most advanced in the world and costs upwards of USD100 million.

Despite the incident, US officials have maintained that their overall campaign remains on track. As the conflict approaches the end of its third week, senior leaders have continued to project confidence.

On Thursday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proclaimed that the US is 'winning decisively' and claimed that Iran's air defence systems have been 'flattened'.

At the same time, the US military has faced other setbacks during the conflict, although not all were due to enemy action. According to the report, three F-15 Eagle jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences. All six crew members managed to eject safely.

In a separate incident last week, a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq. The cause of the crash remains unclear. The US military said the incident was 'not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.'

All six crew members on board the KC-135 were killed.

Meanwhile, questions remain about how the conflict may develop in the coming days. CNN earlier reported that a Marine Expeditionary Unit was being deployed to the region. A US official confirmed that the unit involved is the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit from Okinawa, along with the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group (ARG).

The USS Tripoli was seen approaching Singapore earlier this week. (ANI)